Iranologist funeral goes highly controversial

Young journalists club

News ID: 3921
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 14:53 - 14 April 2014
Tehran, YJC. Late Frye’s will to be buried in Iran has set politicians in the country against each other.

Well-known Iranologist Richard Nelson Frye died on March 27. In his will he had asked to be buried by the Zayanderud in Isfahan. This has met a lot of controversy by different groups within Iran.

On Sunday Isfahan representatives to the Majlis addressed President Rouhani in a letter demanding that he would ban Frye to be buried as his will suggests.

Threatening the president against a "harsh, uncontrolled public reaction” in case the Iranian government agrees to "such a diplomatic disgrace” as burying the body of the Iranologist, the lawmakers count their plead as representing the view of "the ever militant, zealous, and religious people of the province.”

"In the future we will be enacting our obligation in full force in accordance with the action the government would undertake,” they strongly maintain.

Meanwhile reports go that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to the Head of the Presidential Staff Mohammad Nahavandian has demanded proper cooperation in fulfilling the well-known Iranologist’s will.

The letter also mentions that the Grand Islamic Encyclopedia Center has agreed to build a tomb for Frye.

Earlier, Head of the center Kazem Mousavi Bojnourdi had in letters to President, Foreign Minister, and Isfahan Governor-General asked for the body to be conveyed to Isfahan and buried beside the tomb of another Iranologist Arthur Pope who lies by the Zayanderud.

In reaction to the to-be burial of Frye, unknown people used graffiti to give the tomb of Pope an improper sight.

The latest report, though, goes that sources close to Zarif have denied such a demand being made by the Foreign Minister, stating that doing so is not within the prejudices of the Foreign Ministry.


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